|
Better To Be Dreaming (Dead RP)
Better To Be Dreaming Life is nice. Odd, sometimes. But what's odd when you've existed there your entire life? Is normality the true oddity? Or is the world's oddities what make it comfortable to live in? ~But~ What if your world was nothing but a dream? ~*~ ~*~ Nico opened his eyes groggily and squinted at the white glare that nearly blinded him. The sun was glowing in a sky pale gray, but overall, cloudless. The bayou's trees were quiet and calm, shivering lightly in the breeze that shifted through and shook the washed-out colors of the low flowers and the shadowy, green-gray grasses. The nearly-black trunks of the trees cast their shadows over him, over his black clothes, hair, and eyes that were so pale they almost seemed white. Or, at the very least, gray. He stared at the water shifting along the bank in the breeze, but was far enough away to be dry, and safe if the water decided to rise as it tended to do. A few times he'd been caught in the mud, then dragged underneath by whatever tentacled creatures lurked underneath the deeper mud. Stretching, Nico sat up and twisted, letting out the stiffness in his back. Ten years old, and Nico was more than trusted to wander relatively alone, if he at least didn't have his friend nearby. He wasn't sure what he qualified for this time. He was alone, but could hear things nearby. Animals, anyway. The water twisted sometimes as crocodiles shifted, and the shadowy creatures below the water. His rowboat rested, tied to a branch that floated in the water. It was a little thing, meant for only two, but it was quick, and Nico could row it fast along the waterways, through the narrow passages, but never outside the bayou. Dad always said it was dangerous out there, and to never, ever go outside the trees. And he obeyed. Sitting against a tree trunk behind him, Nico sighed contentedly, staring at the water as it rippled in the white sunlight. |
"Such a pretty place," a voice spoke from behind him. A small boy, perhaps around Nico's age hung upside down, his legs wrapped around a tree branch. His hair stayed positioned in its usual style and his blue eyes shone brightly against the monochrome background. He let go of the branch, flipping in mid air and landing quietly on the grass below. His feet were bare as he picked his way across the sticks and leaves that littered the ground. He sat next to Nico and smiled at him, bringing his knees up and hugging them.
"It's a shame you have to leave," he said. Icaris knew that this place was not as it seemed. A beautiful lie. Soon Nico would have to go, leave the safety of the bayou and adventure in the great unknown. There was no way Dad could stop them. |
Nico glanced around as Icaris made himself known. He smiled lightly as the barefoot boy approached and sat, and turned his gaze back to the water. Icaris had been with him for ages. So long, in fact, Nico was sure it spanned various lifetimes he couldn't recall, but knew very well this boy had always been his friend, had always been around somehow. Of course, he didn't think too hard on it. Icaris was a strange thing, and strange was what Nico liked. Normality was boring. He glanced around, through a mess of hair that was not only an endless black, but toned with light red highlights that were far deeper than the flowers that scattered themselves in beds throughout the shadow of the bayou's dry lands. The comment was... odd. Confusing. "What do you mean I... have to leave?" He asked. "Dad said never to go beyond the trees. It's too dangerous." He tilted his head a bit, like a dog trying to figure out a sound or sight. He didn't want to leave, and definitely didn't want to go without Icaris. |
Icaris shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, I just have this feeling you have to go." It wasn't a sad feeling. In fact, he knew that he would go with his friend. Nico wouldn't be able to do this alone. He picked at the greyish grass, sprinkling the torn blades onto his feet. It tickled and made him laugh.
Icaris knew a lot more than he would ever tell his friend. He knew that this place was not where Nico belonged and that the intentions of Dad were... not quite right. How Icaris knew this, he didn't understand. He enjoyed living in this place with his friend. They had made leaf boats and raced them along the water's edge together. Icaris had turned into a fish and swam down into the inky blackness of the waters to save Nico from the octopus that lived down there. It had all been so much fun. Yet, the knowledge that Nico had to go was implanted deeply into Icaris' mind. |
He stared at Icaris in silence for a long time. Or, what Icaris felt to be a long time. He didn't really understand Icaris, but didn't want to ask. "O...kay." He said at last. He had learned long ago not to question too much, especially from Dad. There were many things that old man didn't tell him, or kept secret from everyone in general. And not many people lived in the bayou. Dad was a man of power. He'd said that Nico's ancestors had come here long ago and settled here with others, and that they had become head of the little outback town, mayor in a way. "When do we go?" He asked after a moment, staring at the water as it stood stagnant, showing off its lack of color but still vast beauty. No one could tame the land, and everyone accepted that. |
"Not yet," Icaris replied, brushing the grass off his feet. "No worries. Not yet." He stood and walked towards the water, his footsteps not making a sound. He kept walking until he was shoulder-deep in the water, his feet tucked into the layer of mud under the surface. He liked the feeling of the cool liquid about him. He felt a crocodile swim passed, its scaly hide brushing against his leg. But he felt no fear. The animals here respected mankind, not like the wild ones living beyond the trees. He didn't want his friend to worry about it, not until they had to go.
He glanced up at the sky, that would be blue if in another world. A few clouds were travelling across it, small and fluffy like sheep. "Winter's coming." Icaris hadn't seen a Winter yet. This place seemed to always be in some time between Summer and Fall. "When the ice comes, when the snow comes, that's when we must leave." |
Nico stood and crouched, stepping forward on both hands and feet easily, his lightweight body not leaving indentations in the smooth mud. He didn't get terribly close to the water, though. Seemed the octopus underneath really liked him. Really the only unnecessarily violent creature of the water. And he couldn't become a different animal to get away such as Icaris could. "Winter...?" he repeated. "I've... never seen winter here." He heard it was cold. Dad told him so. The last cold weather and snowfall had been before he was born, so Dad said. "Wouldn't it be... hard to row the boat when the ice comes?" At least it'd prevent the octopus from grabbing him. But why did they have to leave? Why when winter came? It'd be cold, uncomfortable to walk outside. And what resided outside the bayou? He had trusted his father when the old man said it was dangerous, he'd accepted that and never took that main waterway. He did, from time to time, watch and stare at it during sunsets, when the sky managed to gain some color. "I've never been out there." He muttered. It was a comment to himself, but was loud enough for Icaris to hear. |
Icaris ducked, so he was squatting in the water. His wispy hair flowing about him, changing just like the surface of the water. He sighed and again shook his head to show that he didn't know, or was unable to speak to him about details. "I don't know. But don't tell Dad. He might get mad." He stared over the surface of the water, watching the tiny insects skate across it and the occasional ripple from a fish or crocodile. A large tentacle rose up from the middle, far from shore. It broke the surface and splashed back down, making small waves.
"Old Tentacles looks mad," he commented, coming towards the shore slightly. The octopus couldn't touch him, but it still set him on edge. "Hopefully he didn't tell Dad what I was saying." Icaris knew that Dad would already know. Dad always knew. |
Nico shook his head. "I never tell Dad." He muttered. But Dad always seemed to know what he and Icaris were doing. Perhaps that was why he trusted them out on their own so much. Nico could take care of himself, of course, but he always had to wonder what Dad had power over. Sometimes he questioned his own ability to handle himself. But he knew he'd always been able to do well, and with Icaris, he didn't see much as an insurmountable challenge. "Maybe it's better to leave earlier than Winter." Nico said at last. "If Dad knows, he might keep us away." he stayed crouched, and now put a hand atop the still water. It was cool and clean, despite the initial look and those lurking beneath. |
Icaris sighed and left the water, climbing onto the shore and sitting by Nico. The water ran off his clothes and soon he was bone dry. He stared passed the trees and into the wilds beyond. The shades of grey turned into a black colour, making the hills and forests silhouette. Creatures lurked out there, some friendly and others would hurt them if they got a chance. Beyond the dark hills were a series of pipes, big enough for them to walk through. After the pipes... Even Icaris didn't know what was beyond there.
"It is going to be dangerous," he said quietly. "It might even kill us." He looked at his friend. So young... He would never understand the importance of this journey. "I don't even know what will happen if we defy Dad." |
Kill us... Nico almost shuddered at the words. He'd almost been killed before, certainly. Falls from trees, near drownings. Plenty of times he'd been pulled under the water by that monstrosity. Each time Icaris was near, but of course couldn't do anything about the falls. Nico had healed quickly, though a couple times he'd been knocked unconscious. "I know." He said at last. "I never underestimate nature. Or Dad." He stepped back and picked a pale red flower. Its color seeped away as though run under water as the life faded away from it, and the petals dried, falling to the ground. "It's been a year." "I know, hon." "A year, Andrew!" The tall, relatively thick man put a hand on his wife's. "I know. We can't force it. They don't even know what's caused it." His tired, shadowed eyes betrayed his lack of sleep. He hadn't slept well since the day his son had fallen into the coma. Brain scans, X-rays, blood tests, nothing had shown what was wrong. The doctors hadn't wanted them to take the boy home, though it seemed like the situation was only a very deep, irreversible sleep. They wanted to keep him under constant observation. Something his parents hadn't necessarily wanted, but couldn't see any other way. Now family and friends stopped by every day, and his mother didn't leave his side until she was escorted out of the hospital. Her eyes were rarely dry. |
Icaris nodded, knowing that what his friend had said was true. Many a time he had to shape change to save his friend, though when Nico fell, he couldn't do anything but watch. Dad was the one that healed him and nursed him back to health. Icaris couldn't be around Dad. He had to hide or disappear. Dad didn't like Icaris, and if he ever found out about the boy, he would do something bad. "We should go when you are ready," he said finally. He knew that Winter was the time they had to leave, but if Nico wanted to start their journey sooner...
A bell rung out from across the bayou, a clear and simple noise. Dad was calling them. Nico would have to go alone. The noise made Icaris' body change involuntarily into a shrub bush. He could only watch to see what his friend would do next. |
Nico lifted his gaze to the origin of the sound. The bell was attached to the home Dad and he lived in. He'd offered the belltower as a place for Icaris to rest, but couldn't recall what he'd said... Climbing into the little rowboat, he left his transformed friend at the shore and pushed off, skating the rowboat easily across the water. The tentacled terror below wouldn't attack the boat like it liked to grab Nico. He'd never understood why... Shifting, he worked his boat into a narrow waterway, overhung with old trees, willows and bushes, vines hanging in the water covered with moss like curtains. It was shaded here darker than anywhere else, but Nico could always see until night fell, casting its otherworldly shade upon the entire bayou. Coming to a quick stop at the dock outside their home, the bell fell silent. He roped the boat, carefully stepping up onto the dock to meet his father at the stairs of the house. He bowed his head. "I heard your bell, Dad." Nico said quietly, clasping his hands behind his back. |
Dad gazed over him, his white eyes searching for something. After a small silence, he nodded curtly. "Dinner," he spoke with a strong voice. He didn't need to say much else. He knew that his son would listen. His son was obedient, unlike the others.
Icaris sighed, popping back into his boy form. He had watched his friend leave and worried. He didn't want Nico to find out about Dad's true intentions. He shook his head, sprouting a pair of wings. From the old belltower he would be able to see what was happening. Dad had warned him not to go inside, but Icaris did anyway. That's why Dad hated him so much. He was free to do as he pleased in this world. As he flew through the air, he noticed white specks forming in the dark clouds that had formed. 'Winter...' |
Nico closed his eyes and nodded once. Dad turned at that, stepping into the house, and Nico followed silently. He listened because Dad was a very large man. Large in muscle, not in fat, and solid, powerful. He didn't speak much, but when he did, he never beat around the bush so to speak. Nico had learned to fear him, but to obey and appreciate him as well. But this time, he couldn't stop thinking about what Icaris had said. Going into the foyer, Nico was greeted by a staircase that curved slightly to the second floor. An archway right ahead of him led to the living room. A door to the right led to a bathroom, and the arch to the left led to a small dining room and a kitchen off to its right. He went through it and sat at the table. Dad always said to wait for others, but there was only ever Nico and the man. Dad was usually at the table, but this time Nico could hear him shifting around in the kitchen. |
The world outside began to grow cool and brisk as the white snowflakes floated softly to the earth below. There had been no warning. Winter had come silently and quickly, no slow transitions or seasons in between. It had been the first Winter many of the villagers had witnessed. They gazed out of their small grey-scaled cottages, their white eyes the only thing seen from within the black inside. A small child ran down the street, like a shadow. All the town's people were like this. Mere shadows of something real. A figment that Dad had made for Nico.
Icaris huddled in the bell tower, having to turn into a penguin to keep warm. From this vantage point he could see into the Manor, right where Nico was sitting at the dining table. He shivered, hoping that Dad wouldn't try and prevent the eventual leaving of his son. Because if Icaris knew, Dad knew for sure. It was time for Nico to wake up. |
Nico's silvery eyes stared at his hands, folded on his knees. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Couldn't stop thinking about what Icaris had said. "It's a shame you have to leave..." He shuddered when he remembered those words. He knew Icaris was good, a friend, someone close, and always close. He often took forms Nico found comfort in, but couldn't quite understand why. He only looked up when he smelled something. Fish. There was an abundance of fish in the bayou, of course, and Dad always managed to catch a few big ones in the morning. He looked up to see a plate already on the table and in front of him, and Dad sitting on the other end with one of his own. His eyes were focused, but not hard. Nico bit his bottom lip. "Um... Dad?" The man looked up. "Might I go back out after supper? I... saw it was starting to snow, and I've never seen it before." |
The gaze never broke from Nico, but for a moment a flicker of sadness had registered on the man's face. Had Nico just imagined it? Dad sighed, not in defeat but in annoyance. Why did the Winter have to come now? He couldn't let Nico escape. He was supposed to stay here, in this house, in this place that he had created. The world beyond this place was dangerous, full of nightmares and terrors that could kill the boy instantly.
"Winter brings cold, it brings death. You are forbidden to leave this house while it is snowing," he spoke in his quiet, yet strong voice. He stood again, turning his back on his "son" and staring out of the window. "The cold... It creeps into you, turning your mind to ice. The Grim Reaper hides beyond, making you think salvation is near." He went quiet. He no longer needed to speak. If the boy dared disobey, there would be need for punishment. Dad couldn't directly harm Nico, but the boy that hung around him was another story... Icaris squawked, hiding behind the bell in the tower. The man had been staring out of the window and Icaris had felt it. There would be no way he would be able to reach Nico now. Dad was powerful. Was Nico strong enough to defy him? |
Nico bowed his head again. He didn't want something to happen to Icaris if he dared question his father. Not after last time. The very thought made him shudder. But he couldn't disappoint his friend. He had to leave, that's what Icaris had said. He had to leave when winter came, and winter was here. He'd seen the snow, the frozen rain, falling from the sky before entering the house. He picked at his food, making sure Dad saw him eat a bit. If he seemed to be dwelling on it, his father would know. And he didn't want Dad to know. He'd sneak out tonight. He'd go to his room and climb out the window like he did times in the past. He'd never been caught those times, and always came back before Dad found out. But this time, he didn't think he'd come back. After all... it was time to leave. Where, Nico didn't know. Why, he hadn't had time to question. He had to doubt Dad's words that winter brought death immediately. But he'd certainly wear warm clothes when he snuck out this time. |
Dad watched him eat, saying no more. He left the room once he was convinced that Nico had eaten enough. If he knew what his son was thinking, he didn't show it. Of course he knew. Dad knew all.
The world outside had been tucked under a cold blanket of snow. It made noises more crisper and clearer, making it difficult to sneak around. Icaris had already tried to sneak towards the Manor, only to be turned away by Dad's power. He crouched by a small hill of snow, glancing up at the window that had been Nico's room. He hoped that his friend would sneak out and hoped that he brought the right items. Icaris had to change into something warmer. |
Nico kept his mind clear as he did the dishes that were dirty and put them away. Late. Late that night. It had to be a safe time. But if he knew Dad... and he did... Slowly, he climbed the stairs. As he made it to the landing, Dad appeared at the bottom of them. "Nico." He called sternly, and the boy froze. Then he turned to face the man. "Do as I say. Winter is dangerous, cold and unforgiving." The boy nodded, and went to his room down the left hall. Without even coming to a conclusion, he went to the closet and pulled out thick clothes and shoes that all smelled slightly of mothballs, which Nico actually liked. Throwing them into a bag on the floor of the closet, he pulled a black cloak onto his back and raised the hood over his hair. He tossed the bag over his shoulder and went to the window, carefully lifting it and slipping out. Dad always had an uncanny ability to know everything, as if he were omnipresent, but over time, Nico had been able to completely annex himself from his father's overbearing presence. That is, if he didn't think about anything, even his current actions, as he went about them. Closing the window, he slid down the shingles damp with moss and gathering snow that managed to work its way through the treetops, and hurried to the boat. Yanking the rope off the dock, he pushed off hard before jumping in and grabbing the oars. So far, so good. |
The night was almost pitch black, with the moon just lightly illuminating the snow on the trees and ground around them. Icaris huddled down, sitting near the bow of the boat. He hadn't said a word when his friend had turned up, and neither did he. They both knew that as soon as they thought anything about what they were doing, Dad would come. And Dad would not be very happy.
The water had turned icy, but hadn't frozen over entirely. Icaris could sense that the octopus had gone to sleep, so it wouldn't freeze to death. Besides, the boat couldn't be seen by it, a special little trick Icaris had done for Nico. They continued silently down the water, coming to the trees they had been forbidden to go past. Their empty branches stretched like hands, signalling them to turn back. Icaris glanced at his friend. Would he be able to leave the bayou? To defy Dad was something that took tremendous courage. |
Nico would have felt guilty if he let himself feel anything at all. To completely be cut off from Dad and his power, he had to ignore everything, even his own subconscious, and his only real, true friend. His hood was up and keeping the biting breeze from his face. If he looked into the water, Nico might look something like an otherworldly boatman, transporting a soul across the bayou and into another realm entirely. Perhaps it was an entirely new realm, a universe beyond the bayou he'd never tried to think about. Dad had said not to think about it, anyway, because it would create unnecessary longing and wondering, and it was dangerous out there. Bowing willows brushed the hood of his cloak, gradually pulling it back as he took to the widest waterway. The water was so still, and already a very thin, delicate sheen of ice was starting to form. It would be hard to row through ice, so he hoped the water outside his limited world moved a little, at least, to halt the formation of ice for at least a little longer. The moon above them hung like a massive orb, a light like the sun, but easy on the eyes, and cast eerie shadows over everyone, including Icaris and Nico. Andrew looked at his wife, Laila, as the doctor entered with a crestfallen expression. Laila jumped up, putting a hand on her boy's frail, thin arm. "Well, what's keeping him under?" The doctor shook his head. "For the time being, Mrs. Collis, the coma is still a totally anomalous event. We---" "What the hell does that mean!?" Laila demanded, and Andrew jumped to his feet to put an arm around her. "It means we have absolutely no idea what's caused it. Every blood test has come back clean, every brain scan. Just like last time. There's nothing in or along his spine, and there is no cancer or weak points in any major organs that could say anything to it." Andrew shook his head. "Well... what can we do?" The doctor looked to the boy. His skin was so pale. His eyes shadowed. His hair dull as it splashed against the pure white of the pillow. "We can't do anything more than... wait, I'm afraid." |
They had passed the tree line that had once been the end of their world. But they could not relax now, they were still in the range of Dad's power.
Icaris stared at the moon in the night sky and the twinkling lights surrounding it. He had become to love this world, and he would be sad to see it end. But he had to get his friend to the White Cliffs. He had to get Nico to jump into the sky above. Icaris had to be left behind and he felt sad. The boat had started to slow, and Icaris could see his friend struggle against the ice that had formed. He glanced about, seeing an over hanging branch. Changing into a monkey, he jumped to it, climbing onto it and changing back. Balancing himself, he reached out for Nico. The trees here were old and strong. They could continue in the tree tops. Once they got over the hills, Dad's power wouldn't affect them. |
Nico almost couldn't ignore the pain shooting through his thin arms. It had become almost impossible to maneuver the little boat, and had he been thinking at all, he would have wished he'd taken his father's, which had an engine they could have used, but only after they got out of hearing distance. He watched Icaris move, then, as his friend used his very interesting power, and reached up to accept his hand, pulling up into the tree. He could still feel the oppressive presence of his father, however, so he dared not speak in thanks or even acknowledge the help. Icaris would know what he would have said if he could. Nico moved to a different tree, jumping onto one of its heavy branches and skirting the trunk, getting onto a higher one to make room for Nico. He didn't have to wait for Icaris. Over the hills, it seemed. Dad's presence was getting weaker, of course, but only as they approached those hills. If they got there, or over them. He targeted another branch nearby and leapt, grabbing it and hoisting himself up. |
| All times are GMT. The time now is 11:23 PM. |